http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/14/bush.iraq/index.html WASHINGTON (CNN) -- On the eve of Iraq's historic election for a four-year parliament, President Bush on Wednesday praised U.S. efforts in Iraq to fight terrorism and to create a new Mideast democracy. "We are living through a watershed moment in the story of freedom," Bush said during his fourth and final speech leading up to Thursday's vote. "Iraqis will go to the polls to choose a government that will be the only constitutional democracy in the Arab world. Yet we need to remember that these elections are also a vital part of a broader strategy in protecting the American people against the threat of terrorism." Bush also accepted responsibility for invading Iraq based on faulty intelligence. "It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As president I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq," Bush said. "And I'm also responsible for fixing what went wrong by reforming our intelligence capabilities. And we're doing just that." Bush's address at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington follows a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll that indicates fewer Americans are opposed to the U.S.-led war there. Forty-eight percent of respondents to the new poll said they thought it was a mistake to send U.S. troops to Iraq, as opposed to 54 percent of those polled last month. Fifty percent said it was not a mistake, compared to 45 percent last month. The president's approval rating is 42 percent -- up 4 percent from November. (Full story) A successful election in Iraq on Thursday to establish the nation's first permanent, democratically elected government would do much to bolster the theme of Bush's speeches: that his administration's war is working. (Watch Iraqis getting out the vote -- 2:00) "We are in Iraq today because our goal has always been more than the removal of a brutal dictator. It is to leave a free and democratic Iraq in its place," Bush said. Before the speech, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said 41 Democratic senators had sent a letter to Bush "to show that we need to get things right in Iraq after these elections." "The president has had a number of speeches -- three in number -- and he has still not focused on what needs to be done in convincing the American people and showing the American people what his plan is in Iraq," Reid said. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, said the letter urges the Bush administration "to tell the leaders of all groups and political parties in Iraq that they need to make the compromises necessary to achieve the broad-based and sustainable political settlement that is necessary for defeating the insurgency." "The president still has not stated how long his administration believes the (war) will take and how much it will cost in terms of funding and in terms of the commitment of American military and civilian personnel," Reed said. In the poll, 49 percent of respondents said neither side is winning the war, 13 percent said the insurgents are winning and 36 percent said the United States is winning. On Monday, speaking in Philadelphia, the cradle of the U.S. Constitution, Bush compared Iraq's struggles with American history. "It took a four-year civil war and a century of struggle after that before the promise of our Declaration (of Independence) was extended to all Americans," Bush said. "It is important to keep this history in mind as we look at the progress of freedom and democracy in Iraq." (Transcript) The president unexpectedly took questions from the audience, including one from a woman who asked Bush how many Iraqi "civilians, military, police, insurgents, translators" had been killed in the war. "I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis," Bush said. "We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq." White House spokesman Scott McClellan later said Bush was basing his statement on media reports, "not an official government estimate." About 160,000 American troops are in Iraq. The Pentagon says it hopes to reduce the number to 138,000 by the summer and 100,000 by the end of 2006. During his speech December 7, Bush said the United States has succeeded in helping Iraq improve its economy and infrastructure -- which he called the "battle after the battle." "Over the course of this war, we have learned that winning the battle for Iraqi cities is only the first step," Bush said. "We also have to win the battle after the battle by helping Iraqis consolidate their gains and keep the terrorists from returning." (Transcript) And during his first speech of the series, on November 30, Bush told students at the U.S. Naval Academy, "As Iraqi forces gain experience and the political process advances, we will be able to decrease our troop level in Iraq without losing our capability to defeat the terrorists." (Transcript) all i can say is............. FINALLY!!! the thing that pissed me off most about this debacle in Iraq (among other issues) is the refusal of this administration to admit any fault, mistakes, or wrong-doing. while this is obviously a manuver to regain approval points, i'm just glad he's admitting it. it also feels really good deep-down knowing that T_J, texxx, and the other neo-hawks have been slapped in the face. let's see what kind of spin-job yall pull.
Notice that he doesn't apologize. He doesn't even admit mistakes were made. And knowing what he knows now, he'd do it all over again.
What an absolutely idiotic move. He just opened himself up to being called aliar since he's been denying all this in the first place. Way to go you moron.
Well he is still trying to claim it was an honest intelligence mistakes, when the evidence showed that he "fixed" the evidence to justify the invasion, which he was determined to do. He had to clean house at the CIA to get them to take the fall, when they were more right than wrong. Iit was Bush and Cheney's hand picked "intelligence" group that cherry picked the evidence to present to the American people, when it was often deemed unreliable by the CIA, State Department and fridenly intelligence services from other countries. The 6% increase in support for the war, if true, shows the desperation of many Americans to not face up to how they were lied to.
I am admantly against this war built on fabrications and lies. However, Bush has gotten us into a mess that we can't cut and run from. If we leave now, it will be an even WORSE situation than before. Depressing isn't it? Thanks to Bush, this country will be run by hippies in 10 years.
Shouldn't someone, anyone be held responsible? If Jr says he takes responsibility, shouldn't he be held accountable? It's just mind-boggling! We impeach a president for lying about a blowjob and let this clown slide.
thats why rummy will take responsibility and GOP joe will come and solve everything! can someone volunteer for the cause and give bush a blowjob.
What evidence? ...and whatever happened to reasoned political debate? You guys are so blinded by hatred it's sad.
Without Cheney holding his hand, without lawyers and without his Brain..er..Rove. If it was an honest mistake and we just "got it wrong," he should have nothing to hide.
The evidence is the downing street memos and associated documents. The other evidence is reports that Bush knew that some evidence was not credible yet decided to present it as credible information. The man who claimed that Iraq trained Al Qaeda in chemical weapons is a prime example.
Yeah....though I haven't considered him a liar, he could've admitted this long before re-election. Why would he want to though...it's not like there's people on the Hill with enough balls to indict him, now or ever.
I still don't see how it's evidence. Nothing says that he knowingly manipulated intelligence. He might have overlooked some evidence that intelligence was faulty but in a case like this isn't it better safe than sorry?
Of course it doesn't. The Bush junta has been very careful in covering their tracks. Anyway... Here's to hoping the elections go smoothly and without incident tomorrow. Anyone taking odds on who the new Prime Minister will be? I have the American backed Allawi at 2 to 1.
the Downing street memo says that officials claimed the intel was being fixed to fit the policy. There were even more telling documents that talked about discussions on how to pacify objections to the move. I think that shows intent, and fixing both. It isn't a video tape of the actual manipulation taking place, but it is some type of evidence.
Try googling "Downing Street Memo". I don't think it will do any good, but can anyone send him to a summary site of the evidence?
The Republican Party flushed reasoned political debate down the crapper on January 20th 1993, the day Bill Clinton was inaugurated. Got any other questions you want answered?
